Photo By Spc. Cal Turner | Maj. John Henderson and Soldiers from Headquarters Company and Alpha Company of the...... read more read more
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By Capt. Janet Herrick
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
AL SEQUOR, Iraq-- A convoy rolled into the Al Sequor village, sitting in the shadows of Contingency Operating Base Speicher, for a mission of goodwill Thursday.
Soldiers from Headquarters Company and the Security Detachment of the 25th Special Troops Battalion, 25th Infantry Division conducted a joint mission with the local Iraqi Police taking donations to two elementary schools in the village providing supplies and gifts to more than 1,100 children.
The Soldiers and Iraqi police shared school supplies, soccer balls, goodie bags, and clothes from the staff sections and units of the 25th Infantry Division. They were able to share some of the comforts of home they received from family, friends, school teachers, and church members with the children of the closest village to where they work and live.
"My mother is a school teacher," said Capt. Justine Dufault, Battalion Intelligence Officer. "She and other teachers at her school donated the supplies we took to the school. I am glad to assist the people back home in providing supplies and facilitate the partnership between a U.S. school and an Iraqi school."
In addition to giving supplies and goodies to the children, key leaders of the unit met with the school principal and discussed their needs to improve the school. By helping the community, coalition forces gain situational awareness of the village.
"By helping them to improve their community and schools we can more positively influence them which in turn keeps terrorists from influencing and strengthening their position in the area," said Maj. John Henderson, battalion operations officer. A positive attitude toward coalition forces in this village is essential to the defense of COB Speicher and the units that operate here.
Coalition forces are already seeing the benefits of their coordination efforts. They have received information about suspicious personnel conducting surveillance and asking questions about the types of patrols in the area. When the 25th STB receives this information, they alert their Iraqi Police partners. The battalion continues to work with and support the Iraqi Police, and encourages them to be the first responders.
"We feel like we are learning a lot more going outside the wire and getting more of an understanding of the community. It helps a lot in pulling security," said Pfc. Keron Anthony Frazier, a security detachment driver.
The battalion has recently been working with the Iraqi Police in this village to eliminate the threat of improvised explosive devices in this area, but this is the first non-security related mission they have conducted. "This gives them more trust and confidence in us that we are not just going in and pulling out the bad guys. They know we are here to assist," said Dufault.
The battalion plans to continue these positive visits to the village to create allies with the teachers, Iraqi police, and the community. Not only will it make the security missions in their village easier, it will improve the security of the roads and entrance into COB Speicher where the battalion operates from.
"We care about what goes on in their village. Our key objective is to ensure the safety of COB Speicher by partnering with the Iraqi people that live nearest to the base," said Henderson.
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2002 |
| Date Posted: | 01.22.2007 13:55 |
| Story ID: | 8883 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 174 |
| Downloads: | 85 |
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